Design Question

[bob]

Hi,
I have an app that responds to user requests that come in by phone or
SMS.
By design, the app can only service one request at a time.


I now want to allow the app to accept requests over the web.

There is a small (couple of hundred) pool of intermittant users.

Just looking for some overall design advice.
My thinking so far is:
A web service that communicates with the App via TCP
i.e.

Web Page allows user to provide string which is posted to the
webservice.
The webservice creates an object (request) based on the string,
serializes it and sends it down channel nnnn to the app.
The app deserialises the request and processes it.
It then serializes the object again with the new info and returns it
down channel nnnn
Using TCPClient class to do the sending receiving.
Once the web service has the request back from the app it extracts the
answer string and returns it to the Web page.

I am thinking I will need a singlton in the web Service function so
that concurrent web requests are handled serially.


Am I on the right track here or is there another approach I should be
considering.
thanks
Bob

 

[bob]

OK,
Thank you.
I will start thinking WCF.
regards
Bob

On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 09:51:22 -0400, "Mr. Arnold" <MR.

Hi,
I have an app that responds to user requests that come in by phone or
SMS.
By design, the app can only service one request at a time.


I now want to allow the app to accept requests over the web.
OK

There is a small (couple of hundred) pool of intermittant users.

Just looking for some overall design advice.
My thinking so far is:
A web service that communicates with the App via TCP
i.e.

A WCF Web Service may be needed.

Web Page allows user to provide string which is posted to the
webservice.
The webservice creates an object (request) based on the string,
serializes it and sends it down channel nnnn to the app.

You have a WCF serialized data contact based on a serialized object on the
WCF service side that is instantiated on the WCF service side via a request
from the WCF client. The WCF service sends the serialized object back to the
WCF client, and the WCF clinet acts upon the object to populate it and send
it back to the WCF service where the WCF service i9f ifacts upon the
object.

The app deserialises the request and processes it.
It then serializes the object again with the new info and returns it
down channel nnnn

It will happen with little effort when using the
System.Runtime.Serialization of Datacontract[IsRference = ture]
[Serilazibale] and [DataMemberAttribute] on the object or DTO (Data Transfer
Object] betten the WCF client and service.

Using TCPClient class to do the sending receiving.
Once the web service has the request back from the app it extracts the
answer string and returns it to the Web page.

WCF Web service is no problem.

I am thinking I will need a singlton in the web Service function so
that concurrent web requests are handled serially.

You may want to look at Request-Reply communications for a WCF Web service.